I am back..at least for today!

I have not been on here in forever.. Summer kept me busy. It was the best summer I have had in a long time. My girls got to have so much fun... we took the boat out several times and it was just filled with a lot of fun. Now I sit here watching it rain while I have lentil soup on the stove and my apple candle burning :) I love it though. School work is in session and my favorite season is finally here.
I am thankful... we are now in Olympia. Just one short hour from family and just 7 short minutes to Joel's work. So nice! I am excited for what Olympia has for us here and I am trusting and believing that it will be a great place for us to spend some time.

Wisdom...

I have been thinking a lot about wisdom today. I always read a Proverbs a day which has much to say about wisdom. I think we do not value it enough. It is better than riches, its paths lead to peace. We focus so much on success and money and things. What if we regarded wisdom higher than all of this. I pray that I have wisdom. That I will walk in wisdom and gain wisdom as I search His ways and walk in His path. That I will regard it higher than other things. That God will give me wisdom to make good choices as I am a wife and parent.

Vacation!

Vacation is coming to an end. I feel refreshed, renewed and filled up again. My tank is full. My cup runs over. I have many blessings in life and vacation always reminds me of those blessings. Here are just a few things about vacation that I love-

1. Mornings. I usually hate mornings but on vacation- the earlier the better.
2. NO make-up.
3. NO blow drying my hair. Just up in a ponytail every single day. Saves me probably 52 million minutes of my life :)
4. Time does not matter.
5. Worries go to the back of my mind.
6. Good conversation.
7. Lots of random laughs and singing.
8. Games... playing games and learning new ones.
9. SUNSHINE.. coming home with a tan :)
10. No schedule.. you can do whatever whenever.
11. Lots of reading gets done!

Now I must go. It is the last day here and I must make every moment count!

Time to travel or at least dream about it....

Just a few places I want to go and take my kids....

1. Africa- (what a once in a lifetime trip)
2. Florida- to see the awesome beaches... they are much different than the beaches here.
3. Hawaii- I think they would be in awe at the hula dancers ;)
4. Disneyland- already been but would like to make this trip more often ;)
5. Washington DC- can't believe I lived so close and never took them ;(
6. Disneyland- only on the off season and if I had at least ten days ;)
7. New York (maybe I would like to take this trip kid free actually)
8. Newport Beach, CA- took our honeymoon there.. I love it there.

There are many others places I would love to take them... to see the amazing beauty of the world. Guess I better start saving my pennies.

Hillsong - This Is Our God - With Subtitles/Lyrics - HD Version

Love this song.. especially the end. Freely you gave it all for us. Great is the love... this is MY God.

I have been tested lately. Tested to do the right thing even though it SUCKS. Tested to be patient.. waiting... waiting.... ugh. I am hoping and hoping.... and believing and believing.. my heart is heavy and hurt BUT God is faithful and He is constant. I am thankful for hope. I am thankful for what I am learning along the way. Even though it is not fun.. but I have come to realize, life is full of these kinds of things. Things that are hard........ things that will hopefully make me a better person and stronger in the end. At least that is what I am praying for....

enough of that- 2 days until we leave for one of my favorite places ever!! The girls are packed and driving me literally nuts!

vacation is coming.. thank the good Lord! :)

This last week, I took my girls to VBS at the baptist church where I grew up and where I gave my life to Christ and was baptized. I felt myself almost having to hold back tears as I took them there on their first day. Partly because I was nervous for them walking into a place to spend more than 3 hrs a day not knowing anyone, and also because I am so incredibly thankful for that place and the memories I have there are good. The building seems so much smaller than it seemed to me as a kid. I guess that is always how things seem to end up. I saw a few faces I knew from way back then and my kids had a blast. They loved it. I am so proud of them. They are homeschooled, you know, and not often have to go into a situation like that while not knowing anybody. It proved to me that no matter what some have said to me about their social skills, I, as their mom, know they are okay. I am proud of that and have worked harder than most know, to make sure they are okay in that area. They last day ended with a program at night and a carnival. My kids got on stage, singing several songs and dancing around. The message of the week was to spread the news and they have already done that to the neighbor girl. My kids make me smile.
Now we have a week until the girls and I leave for vacation with my folks. I am so ready to just get away and lay by a pool and to see my kids happier than ever making memories. I have many great memories of vacations my parents would take me on.. Sunriver and Disneyland. No wonder those two places totally make me smile even today :) This will be the first time in Sunriver that we will be without the Manns and it is going to stink without them.. but I know somehow we will all manage to have a a good time. So now for the next few days, I get to try and entertain my kids enough to keep them from going crazy since they are so pumped!
6 days and counting..........